Letters , Feb. 20, 1995

"The massive earthquake in Kobe is a reminder we cannot put all our confidence in governments or in scientific prediction."

Dale R. Yancy Merrimack, New Hampshire

When I saw photos of the Kobe earthquake [Cover Stories, Jan. 30], it looked like a war had occurred. But this sudden devastation was done by nature, not by human beings. There have been complaints that the response of the authorities was too slow because of its bureaucracy. They are deserved. But this earthquake was much more destructive than the government ever imagined. It is easy to criticize, but everyone has to...